The Fluid Geochemistry Group at the Università di Roma “La Sapienza” (URS) is a well established research entity which has been involved over the last 25 years in the study of gas generation, migration and accumulation, as well as aqueous geochemistry, in both natural and human-altered geological systems.

n particular we have been involved in numerous European Community funded projects over the last 10 to 15 years which were focussed on better understanding the possibility of gas migration from deep geological waste deposits, including the sequestration of CO2 and nuclear waste. In terms of CO2 sequestration we are presently involved in two EC-funded projects, NASCENT and WEYBURN. In NASCENT we are a WP leader and are responsible for soil gas, gas flux and shallow geophysical surveys above known natural CO2 reservoirs in order to better understand mechanisms and pathways of gas flow, aqueous geochemistry surveys to understand the effect of CO2 leakage on groundwater quality, the creation and deployment of an automated geochemical/geophysical station to monitor for changes which may impact the shallow environment (e.g. sinkhole formation), and for field injection experiments into gas flow and laboratory experiments into gas bubble movement, gas diffusion and gas-water-rock interaction.. In the WEYBURN project we are responsible for soil gas surveys above an active CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery project in western Canada in order to monitor for the possible migration of CO2 to surface. With respect to projects on nuclear waste disposal we have examined the flow of gases within natural systems, examining in particular the sealing capabilities of clay neogenic basins to impede upward gas migration as well as the effect of elevated temperatures on the sealing integrity of these clays caused by thermal dewatering and shrinking of clay mineral phases. In addition we will also be involved shortly in a very large national project which will examine the feasibility of CO2 sequestration on Italian soil. In this project we will be involved in background and detailed soil gas, gas flux, aqueous and geophysical surveys, the development of automated monitoring systems, the performing of gas injection tests, the study of gas-water-mineral interactions and mineral precipitation reactions, the training of scientists involved in CO2 research and the education of the general public via workshops and the media. On a local scale we have also been conducting risk assessment studies for the local government of Latium on the natural emanation of toxic gases, like CO2 and Rn, in populated areas, such as the city of Ciampino on the southern edge of Rome. In this work we have conducted soil gas and aqueous geochemical surveys, performed gas measurements in private homes, developed GIS models indicating zones of elevated risk and have liaisoned with the general public to improve safety in these areas. Finally we are also involved in an EC project studying the migration of gases related to seeps at the base of the Black Sea.